02/10/2018 10:00 AM COMMUNITY & REGIONAL AFFAIRS

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HB 264-SHOPPING BAG FEES & RECYCLING10:36:24 AM
CO-CHAIR PARISH announced that the only order of business would
be HOUSE BILL NO. 264, "An Act relating to a fee for disposable
shopping bags; relating to the sale of reusable shopping bags;
relating to the recycling of disposable shopping bags; and
providing for an effective date."
10:36:56 AM
REPRESENTATIVE TALERICO questioned whether there had been
sufficient public notice given for the bill hearing.
10:37:26 AM
The committee took an at-ease from 10:37 a.m. to 10:38 a.m.
10:38:18 AM
CO-CHAIR PARISH noted that HB 264 had been noticed two weeks
ago, but the hearing was canceled. He stated his intent to hold
public testimony open for the next hearing.
10:38:54 AM
REPRESENTATIVE ANDY JOSEPHSON, Alaska State Legislature, as
prime sponsor, introduced HB 264. He stated that the world has
"a plastics problem," and in a former legislature, he had
introduced a bill to ban microbeads, which are particles used in
exfoliants, toothpaste, and other products. Because the
microbeads cannot be collected through wastewater treatment,
they end up in "all sorts of waters." He said the bill garnered
interest of other states and the issue was taken up by U.S.
Congress, which resulted in "a ban of sorts on microbeads."
Representative Josephson said his interest in plastics
continues; he sees plastic in the ocean when he kayaks. He said
there are five gyres - massive areas in the ocean where plastic
collects. He said plastic also "makes its way up to the
Arctic." He explained that the idea for HB 264 came from that
concern.
REPRESENTATIVE JOSEPHSON said there are several states that have
taken on the issue of plastic bags. He noted that five
communities in Alaska, including Hooper Bay and, most recently,
Kodiak have "essentially banned plastic bags." He acknowledged
that not using plastic bags would require some adjustment but
said he thinks people can make that adjustment. He noted that
"a powerful member of the other body" had expressed to him an
interest in banning plastic bags, thus he maintained there is
bipartisan interest in this topic. He said in January the City
of Wasilla banned plastic bags. The Matanuska-Susitna (Mat-Su)
considered a ban, but then decided that the ban in Wasilla
"covered most of the problem." The City of Palmer has also
expressed interest in the subject of banning plastic bags. He
remarked that there has been a plastic bag stuck in a tree
outside a court house since November [2017]. To the
consideration that [banning plastic bags] would create a degree
of inconvenience, he said he thinks it is important to "move the
world forward" and "try to take on these issues."
10:43:18 AM
REPRESENTATIVE SADDLER asked for the definition of plastic bags.
10:43:57 AM
LISA DELANEY, Staff, Representative Andy Josephson, Alaska State
Legislature, on behalf of Representative Josephson, prime
sponsor, said the bill sponsor defines plastic bags, as
addressed under HB 264, as being at least 2.25 mils and having
handles.
10:44:43 AM
REPRESENTATIVE RAUSCHER offered his understanding that when the
Mat-Su Borough had tabled the issue of plastic bags, the intent
had been to tax the bags rather than ban them.
10:45:06 AM
REPRESENTATIVE JOSEPHSON said Representative Rauscher could be
right, but in Wasilla it was an outright ban.
REPRESENTATIVE RAUSCHER, in response to the bill sponsor,
offered his understanding that Glenn Allen had banned plastic
bags.
10:46:09 AM
MS. DELANEY paraphrased the sponsor statement, which read as
follows [original punctuation provided]:
Single-use plastic bags are harmful to our
environment, our wildlife, and our economy.
Researchers have shown that wildlife, such as caribou
and moose, will eat plastic bags, which cannot be
digested and will ultimately kill the animal
typically through starvation. There have been
countless cases of birds dying from ingesting plastic
fragments found on beaches, including single-use
plastic bags. Plastics in the ocean get broken down
into microplastics, which are finding their way into
our seafood, which then finds its way onto our plates
along with whatever chemicals are leaching out of
the plastic. For a subsistence state, this is
unacceptable.
Our resources should not be succumbing to plastic
pollution and our residents should not have to worry
about their health after enjoying a subsistence
harvest.
Health and well-being aside, plastic bag pollution is
detrimental to the aesthetic of our beautiful state.
Tourists come to Alaska to experience some of the most
pristine wild places in America, not to see plastic-
filled alders tarnishing our mountain-scapes.
It is up to us as a state to stop needless pollution
and change wasteful behavior. Alaskan communities are
already stepping up and taking control; it's time the
state follows suit.
HB 264 is an effort to reduce waste and pollution, and
protect our renewable resources. I invite you to
discuss this issue with me further and urge you to
support this legislation.
MS. DELANEY said plastic bags are one of the major plastic
offenders and are an easy target. They are overused and readily
accessible, flimsy, easily windblown, yet easy to substitute
with sturdier cloth bags. Plastic does not degrade; it breaks
down into increasingly smaller pieces; contaminants stick to the
pieces, which are then consumed by plankton and then work their
way up the food chain. Many toxins are fat soluble, which
accumulate in animal tissue, such as in Alaska salmon. She said
polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) are a problem in the marine
environment and "one of the most common exposure pathways is
through eating fish." She said one study done in British
Columbia (B.C.) found that returning adult salmon were ingesting
up to 91 microplastic particles per day. She said globally an
estimated 100,000 whales, turtles, and seals dies annually from
plastic. She noted that subsistence communities in Alaska rely
on whale and seal for food.
10:49:20 AM
MS. DELANEY asked the question: "Why not an outright ban?" She
said bans tend to be more common nationally and "get right to
the point." The sponsor's rationale was to give people a choice
to pay for a [plastic] bag or buy a reusable bag. She indicated
the reason for the adjustment period [under HB 264] would help
people "transition to alternatives." She relayed that revenue
was also an issue. She said the sponsor's research showed that
a fee is effective in reducing plastic waste. Washington, D.C.,
and the cities of Chicago and Los Angeles found that even with
modest fees of 5 to 10 cents, there were reductions of 42 to 94
percent [in plastic bag use].
MS. DELANEY pointed out variances in legislation across the U.S.
Most popular seems to be banning then plastic bags and
implementing a fee for paper bags, thicker plastic bags, and
other types of reusable bags. She said Hawai'i has a de facto
state ban [on plastic bags]. She noted that stores subsidize
their costs of "free" bags by adjusting their prices. She said
it is estimated that the bags cost each individual $25-$50
annually. There is a global movement to ban plastic bags, which
have an estimated span of use just 12 minutes long. She pointed
out her own cloth bag, which she uses every day, has lasted four
years, to date. She said Kenya has a strict ban, mostly for
importers. In the U.S. there are 13 cities and 7 states that
charge a fee for the bags and 110 cities and 18 states with a
ban on plastic bags. The ban typically includes a fee for paper
and other reusable bags, she said.
MS. DELANEY showed a list of Alaska boroughs and cities that
currently have [regulations]: Bethel in 2010, Hooper Bay in
2010, Cordova 2016, Kodiak in 2018, and Wasilla in 2018. She
offered her understanding that the City of Palmer has been
talking about a ban, as well as the City and Borough of Juneau.
10:52:52 AM
MS. DELANEY offered a sectional analysis, [included in the
committee packet], which read as follows:
Section 1: Adds a new section to AS 43.98Article 5:
Disposable Shopping Bag Fees. AS.43.98.080(a) imposes
a fee on single-use plastic bags. AS.43.98.080(b)
outlines plastic bags that do not fall under (a) of
this section and so are permitted for use.
AS.43.98.080(c) modifies the state regulations to
account for when a city or borough has implemented
their own single-use plastic bag regulations.
AS.43.98.080(d-f) outlines the responsibilities of the
retailer. AS.43.98.080(g) imposes a penalty for non-
compliance. AS.43.98.080(h) outlines the dissemination
and use of collected fees. AS.43.98.080(i) defines
terms used in this section.
Section 2: Adds a new section to AS 46.06. AS
46.06.145 explains to retailers recycling program
requirements for single-use plastic bags and outlines
penalties for non-compliance.
Section 3: Adds an effective date of January 1, 2019.
MS. DELANEY said the fee would be 20 cents; the exceptions
include bulk food bags, ice bags, and newspaper bags; the
retailer must display fees on the receipt and may not reimburse
the fees; the Department of Revenue (DOR) would deal with any
violations; the state would get 75 percent of the fees, while 25
percent would go back to retailers to help them deal with the
associated costs for the program. Retailers would be required
to accept plastic bags for recycling, which she noted many
retailers already do. The plastics bags would have to show the
recycle symbol, and reusable bags must be visible at checkout.
Fees for violation of the program are outlined under HB 264, and
the Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) would deal
with those violations. She noted that the fiscal note is $3.3
million to the State of Alaska; it could be up to $6.5 million
if "it doesn't deter people from buying bags." Some deterrence
was assumed, hence the lower fiscal amount of $3.3 million.
10:55:51 AM
MS. DELANEY, in response to a question from Representative
Kreiss-Tomkins, said the sponsor did consider including paper
bags in the proposed legislation; however, the thought was that
[plastic] would be a good first step. In terms of other forms
of plastic waste and Styrofoam, she reemphasized how easy it is
to replace plastic bags with reusable bags. She pointed out
that plastic lids on beverage cups are not as easy to
substitute. She said animals consume bags, which tend to get
knotted in their intestinal tracks and slowly starve the
animals. Plastic bags have been found in caribou stomachs, she
said.
REPRESENTATIVE KREISS-TOMKINS suggested that a reusable
"tumbler" could replace the need for using cups with plastic
lids. He asked if there is data showing that plastic bags in
the environment are more prevalent than plastic lids, for
example.
MS. DELANEY said she would need to research the answer. To a
follow-up question, she said she is not aware of such
statistics.
10:59:51 AM
MS. DELANEY responded to questions from Representative Rauscher.
She clarified that the aforementioned $3.3 million would be
brought in by the state; the cost of the program is
approximately $222,000. She reemphasized that the bags cause
harm in the ocean because they break into pieces [to which
toxins are attached] and then are consumed by ocean creatures.
She said bags do not biodegrade well in Alaska, because it is
too cold. She added, "Even in a warmer climate - in landfill -
a biodegradable bag is not going to biodegrade."
11:02:24 AM
REPRESENTATIVE JOSEPHSON, to Representative Kreiss-Tomkins'
question about other plastics, said he thinks the half dozen or
so communities scattered across the state that have banned
plastic bags have shown there is a willingness of people to
"deal with plastic bags" - that there is something about plastic
bags people find offensive.
11:03:17 AM
REPRESENTATIVE RAUSCHER asked if there is any documented
information showing how well [bans on plastic bags] are working.
MS. DELANEY said other than the statistics she already mentioned
in her presentation, she is not sure if any studies have been
done in Alaska pertaining to the ban.
REPRESENTATIVE RAUSCHER painted a picture of mayhem in a
reusable shopping bag caused by leaking meat and bruised kiwis
making their way on a conveyor belt and into a car. He
exclaimed, "I'm just trying to wrap my head around the reusable
bag thing. ... I'm having a heartache with that thought."
MS. DELANEY noted that under HB 264, the smaller plastic bags
used to wrap meat and produce would still be allowed. She
added, "And further, you can bleach and wash a cloth bag, which
I've done repeatedly, if that does happen where all of the bags
you've used have torn and chaos has ensued."
11:06:40 AM
REPRESENTATIVE LINCOLN noted that Galena and Emmonak [had not
been mentioned] as places that had banned plastic bags but are
on the list included in the committee packet. He asked if they
reverted the ban.
MS. DELANEY said she is not sure but noted there were a few
communities that rescinded their bans. She said the reason for
rescinding a ban varies by community. She offered her
understanding that Homer had lifted its ban because residents
there had not felt included in the process. She offered to
investigate Co-Chair Lincoln's query if he would like to list
specific communities.
REPRESENTATIVE LINCOLN asked if biodegradable plastics have
solved the problem of plastic getting into the ocean food chain
but not "blowing around on land."
MS. DELANEY said biodegradable plastics tend not to biodegrade
in Alaska because the climate is not right. She responded to
follow-up questions from Co-Chair Lincoln. She offered her
understanding that [biodegradable plastic] presents a problem
for marine life. She said she thinks the caribou she mentioned
previously were in Mat-Su on one farm. She said 20 cents was
"the upper limit of the common legislation"; therefore, the
sponsor chose to start there. She said cost of living in Alaska
is generally higher, and she offered her understanding that the
bill sponsor is open to negotiating the fee.
REPRESENTATIVE LINCOLN said he thinks the high cost of living
could be a reason not to set the fee at the high end. He said
one aspect of HB 264 he likes is that municipalities and local
communities could "opt in," but he asked what consideration the
sponsor had given to unincorporated communities and communities
with only tribal governments.
MS. DELANEY said she thinks any local government could, under HB
264, "implement as they please."
11:10:34 AM
REPRESENTATIVE JOSEPHSON offered his understanding that the
proposed legislation does speak to an exemption where there is
less than $100,000 in gross sales; therefore, smaller
communities would not be subject to the bill.
REPRESENTATIVE LINCOLN asked for assurance before being asked to
decide on HB 264. He said $100,000 is not that high of a
figure.
REPRESENTATIVE JOSEPHSON said it requires a cultural adjustment
to get a result, and he stated his belief that "people would get
there." He said the City of Cordova "adopted this as a policy"
and had a "GoFundMe" account where people contributed to cloth
bags. He emphasized that he is not wedded to having a fee,
which he indicated had been designed to help achieve a result.
He said if the committee wanted to delve into the proposed
legislation and, for example, change the effective date to not
go into effect for two years, then the committee would not "get
any grousing" from him.
REPRESENTATIVE LINCOLN said he would keep that in mind. He said
he thinks the cultural and financial adjustment varies widely
across the state. He stated, "I triple- and quadruple-bag jars
of seal oil - you know, "AC" bags - to make sure we don't make a
mess .... It might not be recycled and reused in the ways that
are familiar to other places in Alaska, but we use these plastic
bags a lot in rural Alaska for a variety of purposes." He said
there has been "enthusiastic effort" in Kotzebue, Alaska, to
recycle cans "and things like that," but the cost of life in
rural Alaska makes that more challenging than in urban settings.
11:14:17 AM
REPRESENTATIVE DRUMMOND asked how a fee would be applied in
cities that have no sales tax.
MS. DELANEY said the fee should show on the customer's receipt
as another item purchased. She affirmed this system would work
for DOR. To a follow-up question, she said she would have to
check to ascertain whether Kodiak being listed as a place that
banned bags means the Borough of Kodiak or the City of Kodiak.
REPRESENTATIVE DRUMMOND echoed Co-Chair Lincoln's query as to
whether Galena and Emmonak had repealed bans.
11:16:56 AM
CO-CHAIR PARISH asked Ms. Delaney to find out why certain
communities are no longer on the list.
11:17:09 AM
REPRESENTATIVE SADDLER asked if HB 264 was "a revenue-generating
measure to address an issue" or "a behavior modification
effort."
11:17:42 AM
REPRESENTATIVE JOSEPHSON answered that the bill is not designed
to raise revenue but to achieve a desired result. He compared
it to legislation that would reduce corporate income tax, which
he said was designed "to bring companies home ...." He said he
thinks revenue-generating legislation often has "that sort of
goal."
REPRESENTATIVE SADDLER asked why the sponsor chose to set up the
administrative aspect of HB 264 rather than simply banning
[plastic bags].
REPRESENTATIVE JOSEPHSON said he loves the idea and would not
object if the committee is interested in moving that direction,
as long as the effective date allows the public sufficient
notice. He pointed out the benefit of "raising a little bit of
revenue" during a fiscal crisis but emphasized the goal of the
proposed legislation is to "mirror what happened in Washington,
D.C., and Chicago and see a reduction because of ... the fee."
REPRESENTATIVE SADDLER suggested it is more appropriate to
debate a ban and "avoid those costs." He reflected that the
sponsor indicated he wanted to give people a choice but offered
his understanding the sponsor really wants to ban plastic bags.
He said he takes exception to that, because people already have
a choice of whether to use a plastic or reusable bag.
REPRESENTATIVE SADDLER asked if there is a score for
"environmental cost benefit" of various types of bags. He said
he thinks the sponsor is hearing from the committee the desire
to "apply some objective standards to this" and justify the cost
of taxation or a ban.
11:21:20 AM
MS. DELANEY offered to research for an answer.
REPRESENTATIVE JOSEPHSON, in response to a question from
Representative Saddler, said information is readily available on
line highlighting efforts to improve the world by reducing use
of plastics.
REPRESENTATIVE SADDLER noted that included in the committee
packet is a letter to Ms. Delaney from Carol Montgomery
referencing a "Zero Waste Coalition Plastic Bag Committee." He
asked for more information.
REPRESENTATIVE JOSEPHSON said he and Ms. Delaney had talked at
length once with Ms. Montgomery, who is instrumental in the Mat-
Su effort. He offered his understanding that if the group is
not hers, she is at least associated with it. He said he thinks
she is available on line. He noted that Bert Cottle, Mayor of
Wasilla, had repeatedly told him, "What you want is a ban." He
speculated that the City of Wasilla must have undergone a
serious effort toward its goal of banning plastic bags, and he
said he thinks the city council vote was 6:1. To a follow-up
question, he recommended Representative Saddler ask Ms.
Montgomery, who runs the Zero Waste Coalition Plastic Bag
Committee.
11:24:37 AM
REPRESENTATIVE TALERICO observed that one state has banned
plastic bags statewide, while other bans have been done on a
municipal level. He remarked that [the legislature] serves as
"the borough assembly, so to speak," for the unorganized
boroughs of Alaska. He asked the bill sponsor if he had
considered focusing the proposed legislation on the unorganized
boroughs "just to see if it might inspire those other organized
municipal structures."
11:25:32 AM
REPRESENTATIVE JOSEPHSON answered no but said the idea is
interesting. He concurred that the legislature is the assembly
for unorganized boroughs, but it does not do much in that
regard, although he pondered, "Maybe we should."
REPRESENTATIVE TALERICO said his community made reusable bags to
hand out to people who showed up at the polls to vote. He said
the effort resulted in "a serious reduction in our plastic bags
in our landfill."
CO-CHAIR PARISH said he thinks that idea is wonderful.
11:28:29 AM
CO-CHAIR PARISH opened public testimony on HB 264.
11:29:01 AM
BIANCA TINKER, Environmental Coordinator, Native Village of
Hooper Bay, stated that before Hooper Bay banned plastic bags,
there were a lot of bags that floated around the tundra. Hooper
Bay has a fence around its landfill, and the fence has plastic
store bags on it, and some of the bags get loose. She said when
she goes out to do subsistence gathering, she finds plastic
bags. She relayed that some people in Hooper Bay found the
transition to no plastic bag use challenging, because they
didn't know how they were going to carry their groceries;
however, with time people got used to bringing their own
[reusable] bags. People are becoming more environmentally
aware. She concluded, "So, we support this bill; we are in it
100 percent; we believe that it will be a really good (indisc.)
to the environment."
11:32:38 AM
REPRESENTATIVE RAUSCHER expressed appreciation to Ms. Tinker for
her testimony and for the pride he said he perceives she has in
her community. In response to Ms. Tinker, he shared that he had
been involved in the construction of a new church, a youth
center, and several homes in Hooper Bay.
11:33:52 AM
REPRESENTATIVE SADDLER noted Ms. Tinker had said she worked in
the Native village of Hooper Bay, and he asked for
clarification.
MS. TINKER deferred to Mr. Murran.
11:34:20 AM
BERNARD MURRAN said he is Ms. Tinker's assistant. He explained
that the Native Village of Hooper Bay is a tribal government,
which in the past has worked with the City of Hooper Bay on the
ordinance of banning plastic bags; he said there is a memorandum
of agreement. There were plastic bags all over the tundra. One
time, while butchering a seal, someone found the animal had
eaten a plastic bag; it was found in its stomach. He said
following the ban, people bought canvas bags to use.
REPRESENTATIVE SADDLER said he would not anticipate a huge cost
to change over to using canvas bags. Nevertheless, he asked,
"Is that an additional cost that you at Hooper Bay would be
willing to pay in order ... to eliminate the blight of the
plastic bags?"
MR. MURRAN answered yes.
11:36:40 AM
MR. MURRAN, in response to questions from Representative
Drummond, said Hooper Bay banned plastic bags in October 2009.
At first people were not "too wild about it." He added that of
a community of over 1,000, over 90 percent are Yupik Eskimo and
do subsistence hunting.
11:38:09 AM
NICHOLAS WALSH, Hunting and Fishing Guide, said he has been a
hunting and fishing guide since the early '80s and has seen the
impact of plastic throughout the tundra and throughout the
state. He has seen bears ingest plastic bags and birds caught
in bags. In the water near Prince of Wales and Kodiak, he has
seen jellyfish swimming through plastic bags and eagles trying
to fly with plastic bags around their talons. He said it is
quite devastating. In response to Representative Saddler, he
confirmed that he has heard comments about the plastic from
those visitors to the state that he guides. He said long before
things washed up on the beaches [of Alaska], following a tsunami
[on the coast of Japan, March 2011], plastic bags were on the
beaches "literally everywhere." Even with a ban today,
generations will be dealing with the affects of plastic on the
environment. He said he does not believe there is such a thing
as a truly biodegradable plastic bag - not one that would work
in Alaska's cold climate or even in a warmer climate. He said
he has been to Hawai'i where he has never heard any local say
the plastic ban in that state has been much of an inconvenience.
He said he thinks people need to think about the next
generation. He proffered many people see bags stuck in trees,
but seeing the affect on animals begs the question: "Is this
stuff really getting into our food chain?" He said he thinks
this issue is "a no-brainer," and he remarked, "We're paying for
the plastic bags." To a follow-up question, Mr. Walsh said he
does not think any client has told him he/she is less likely to
come to Alaska [because of plastic use].
11:42:35 AM
PATRICIA FISHER, Participant, Mid-Valley Recycling; Member, Mat-
Su Zero Waste Coalition, talked about the Mat-Su Zero Waste
Coalition. She said there are five recycling centers in the
Mat-Su Valley, and volunteers manage those sites. Those
volunteers are the people currently coming together as the Mat-
Su Zero Waste Coalition, which "adopted the idea of a plastic
bag ban." Ms. Fisher said Alaska's environment is suffering
because of plastic bag use, which is why communities are passing
plastic bag bans. She said in the news lately there have been
reports from scientists saying there will be more plastic in the
ocean than fish in the not-too-distant future. She opined that
is it time to make the effort [to ban plastic bag use] because
plastic is in food, is detrimental to health, and will severely
affect children. She said the time is right to ban plastic
bags. She stated, "The Mat-Su Valley is a conservative place,
and yet wherever we went as a plastic bag campaign, ... the
attitude of the majority of people was approval of a ban and
recognition of the need for a ban." She said the Wasilla City
Council voted 5:1 in favor of the ban. She said the attitude of
the public is that plastic bags are a huge problem and the
problem needs to be addressed. She offered her understanding
that citizens are concerned about the environment, and she urged
the committee to move HB 264 forward.
11:45:38 AM
MS. FISHER, in response to Representative Rauscher, explained
that the Mat-Su borough, as a second-class borough, had some
difficulty augmenting an outright ban. There are legal issues
as to how it should be done. The issue was put aside for a
while until the mayor brought people to testify. After that,
the borough removed its original [regulation], so it will not be
considered. She said, "There is a movement by some of us to ask
the borough to do a ban directly, which has to be voted on by
the people, I believe, but that's down the road. I don't know
for sure that that's what's going to happen on that."
MS. FISHER, in response to Representative Saddler, said Mid-
Valley Recycling has about 20 people who come out monthly for
recycling. She said recyclers get together and talk, and they
formed the Zero Waste Coalition comprising members of various
recycling groups. The coalition is not a 501(c)(3); there are
20-30 people on the e-mailing list; and about 10 people come to
a meeting at any given time. In response to a follow-up
question, she said the Zero Waste Coalition started a year and a
half ago; there is a plastic bag committee within it with about
the same number of people. She indicated that members worked on
the plastic bag campaign since October 2016.
11:50:48 AM
LIZBETH JACKSON testified that she is a lifelong Alaskan, who
owns Hatcher Pass Bed & Breakfast. She said people come to
Alaska to enjoy the beauty of the state, and the last thing they
want to see is a plastic bag "tangled up in a rose bush or
clinging to a fence." She said tourism generates an estimated
$856 million annually in Southcentral Alaska and serves 19,700
people. She spoke of protecting the beauty of nature "without
any plastic bags." Ms. Jackson opined that HB 264 is "a
wonderful start" for keeping plastic out of the landscape. In
response to Representative Saddler, she said the next step in
making Alaska an attractive destination would be to address
other forms of plastic [and Styrofoam] trash, such as single use
plastic water bottles and cheap coolers. She said she would
like to see more done to reduce plastic use, because it pollutes
oceans and waterways and affects marine life. She indicated
that [legislation such as HB 264] is creating a conversation
wherein people stop to think about whether they need to use
plastic bags rather than being a community that disposes the
things it uses. In response to a follow-up question as to
whether passage of HB 264 could lead to future proposed
legislation to ban plastic water bottles, she said, "I don't
know how we'd do that." She indicated that if she saw it done
effectively than she could [foresee legislation to ban plastic
water bottles].
11:55:42 AM
REPRESENTATIVE RAUSCHER thanked Ms. Jackson, his constituent,
for her testimony.
11:56:41 AM
CAROL MONTGOMERY, Chair, Plastic Bag Committee, Mat-Su [Zero]
Waste Coalition, suggested amendments to HB 264. First, she
asked that the bill ban plastic bags to be "consistent with the
growing number of local plastic bag laws in Alaska." Second,
she said she would like the committee to apply the 20-cent fee
to all carry-out bags, "including the so-called reusable ones."
She said as the proposed bill currently is written, consumers
would have a choice to pay a 20-cent fee for a disposable bag or
accept a thicker "reusable" bag. She pointed out that most
stores generally offer those bags for no charge when there are
bag bans. She questioned why any customer would pay 20 cents
for a bag when he/she could get "a nicer one" for free;
therefore, she said HB 264 would result in an elimination of
disposable bags from the marketplace - a de facto ban.
MS. MONTGOMERY said there is a groundswell of support for the
ban of plastic bags. She said Glen Allen, Alaska, banned
plastic bags by petitioning its local supermarket, because the
community does not have a local government. She said amending
HB 264 to ban disposable bags rather than charging a fee for
them would make the proposed legislation consistent with and
supportive of existing local laws, and she stated her belief
that this would "reduce confusion."
MS. MONTGOMERY opined that it would be more affective to apply
the proposed fee to the bags that would be used to replace the
disposable ones. She said HB 264 would charge for disposable
bags but offer "a free pass" on "reusable" plastic bags. She
said a common misconception is that reusable bags get reused,
but the definition of reusable bags includes plastic bags that
are thicker then 2.25 mils, which makes them less flimsy and
capable of carrying more weight. The slightly thicker bags are
the least expensive alternative for retailers. In Chicago and
California and Hawai'i, where Ms. Montgomery said single-use
plastic shopping bags were banned, customers have no incentive
to reuse the thicker bags, because they are being given them at
no charge every time they go through a checkout line. Chicago,
California, and Hawai'i had to create further laws to add a fee
for the reusable bags. She said she has spoken with corporate
representatives, including those from Walmart, Kroger, Safeway,
Fred Meyer, and Carrs, and has been told they support any
legislation desired by a community but ask that any plastic bag
ban include a mandated "pass-through fee" for the bags that will
be used to replace the disposable bags, because the bags are
expensive and they don't want to be the first store to charge
for the bags.
12:02:42 PM
MOLLIE BOYER, Executive Director, Valley Community for Recycling
Solutions, testified in support of the effort through HB 264 to
reduce the negative impacts of plastic bags in Alaska. She said
four years ago, third-graders attending a field trip at a
recycling center learned about what plastics are made from and
which plastics can be recycled. One of the participants shared
that earlier that day the class had gone to the University of
Alaska Fairbanks (UAF) Experimental Farm and, during a
presentation there, were shown plastic bags that were pulled
from a caribou stomach that morning. Ms. Boyer said this was
the first the recycling center had heard of this happening. She
found out this is "normal." The researcher collects loose
plastic from around the farm, but two caribou have died from
blockage. She said he has also pulled plastic bags from the
stomach of a moose, but he is not aware of any moose dying from
consumption of plastic. Ms. Boyer said plastic bags do not
decompose; they can only photodegrade, breaking down into
smaller pieces of plastic when exposed to sun. In the darkness
of a stomach, the bags cannot even break down. She said those
third-grade fieldtrip participants lead those working at the
recycling center to understand that plastic is not just a
problem in oceans but also on land, in neighborhoods. She said
the recycling center has shared the story and continues to hear
stories about animals dying from blockage, including reindeer at
a local bed and breakfast. Local dogs and a horse have also
died from ingesting plastic. A nurse in Anchorage said she has
treated toddlers for blockage caused by sucking on and ingesting
plastic. She said unfortunately death from ingesting plastic
can be confirmed only by performing a necropsy, which is an
expensive procedure.
MS. BOYER continued as follows:
From the impacts on state economics via the fishing
industry and tourism to livestock and subsistence to
the health of our pets and our children, the negative
impacts from plastic bags are real. They are not just
unsightly; they are deadly, out loos in our
environment. This is an important issue for the State
of Alaska to address for the long-term good of all
Alaskans. Thank you for working on this legislation
and thank you to the children for raising our
awareness. Let's show them that we can do better.
12:06:36 PM
MARY NANUWAK opined that it is not only the shopping bag that
should be recycled. She said there are all types of
environmental contaminants, including paper, plastic, cigarette
butts, feces, and urine. She said she cannot understand why
these should be [addressed] separately. She added, "I think
these should all be together so that money can be saved, time
can be saved, stress can be saved, frustration can be saved."
She said it seems that when there is contamination of any sort,
the indigenous people are always blamed, when, she stated, "We
are the coolest conservationists." She said Native Alaskans
take containers to collect [waste] when on the water or on land,
and they always "end up more with trash - with contaminates -
than what we go (indisc.) for, and I think everyone should
(indisc.) that." Ms. Nanuwak talked about putting intelligence
to use, and she stressed education and prevention. She said
contamination goes everywhere - it does not stay in one place -
and she often wonders when intelligent (indisc.) are going to
see the affects [of contamination]. She said contaminates are
going "to increase a whole lot because of the global warming,"
the effects of which she said everyone has been ignoring. She
questioned why people cannot see the connections. Nothing is
constant; everything is changing; and often changes have
negative effects, she concluded.
12:11:43 PM
CAROL HOOVER, Eyak Preservation Council (EPC), stated that
Cordova has a ban on both plastic bags and Styrofoam. She said
fishermen would purchase food and put them in double and triple
bags. She said there was a landfill fire that maintained itself
for four months because of plastic bags. She said there were
plastic bags floating in the harbor. She relayed that EPC and
some high school students began a movement for a plastic bag
ban. They printed 1,000 canvas bags, on which were messages to
reduce, reuse, and recycle. They gave the bags away to
residents and the fishermen. They utilized the press to get the
message out that [using plastic bags] is a habit that can be
broken. She said the initiative passed. She said she is not
certain how Cordova's initiative will meld with HB 264, but now
fishermen bring their own bags and boxes to store food. She
said one of the biggest allies were the people who worked in the
refuse department in Cordova. She relayed there was a lot of
grumbling about [the ban] at first, but now people remember to
carry their bags. She opined that the testimony [of Ms.
Nanuwak] was wise. She remarked that people should not drink
from plastic bottles that have been sitting in the sun, because
there is a form of estrogen in it that is not healthy - it is a
carcinogen. She said she has not heard anything [in other
people's testimony] with which she would disagree. She said it
would be great if Alaska led the way in banning plastic bags
"for all the reasons that have been stated." She commented that
one of the first countries that banned plastic bags was China.
She thanked the committee for its consideration of HB 264.
12:16:42 PM
REPRESENTATIVE RAUSCHER noted he had sent a text to Jim Sykes, a
member of the Mat-Su Borough Assembly, to inquire whether the
borough was trying to accomplish a ban or a tax. He said he
received a response indicating that the borough had voted down
the tax and may or may not take up the idea of a ban.
12:17:26 PM
CO-CHAIR PARISH announced that he would hold public testimony on
HB 264 open.
[HB 264 was held over.]